Saturday, January 02, 2016

Although Miami is likely thinking about 2016 and the Patriots are focused on winning the game to improve their playoff standing, New England will have to overcome a plethora of injuries on both sides of the ball. On offense, wide receiver Julian Edelman was wisely held out and did not make the trip south. Another two weeks of rest is a must for one of the most valuable tools in quarterback Tom Brady’s Swiss army knife of offensive options.

Wide receivers Danny Amendola and Brandon LaFell are questionable for Sunday’s matchup in Miami as Amendola has a knee injury and LaFell was recently added to the injury report with a foot injury. It is unknown if LaFell’s foot injury is related to the foot injury he had over the offseason which caused him to miss all of training camp and the preseason and not return to action until week seven.

These injuries make what appeared to be an easy road win turn into a difficult matchup to end the season. New England has some key matchups they need to win on both sides of the ball to lock up the number one seed in the AFC.

The 12-3 New England Patriots face off against the disappointing 5-10 Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon to close out the regular season. The Patriots enter the game having long since locked up the AFC East and with a bye during Wild Card Weekend already secured. For the Patriots, if they win against the Dolphins then they lock up the number one seed in the AFC and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

For the Dolphins, the game is a chance to potentially force their hated divisional rivals onto the road in the AFC Championship round (if the Patriots and Broncos get there). The 2013 Dolphins did the same when they knocked off an undermanned Patriots team 24-20 in week 15 as Danny Amendola dropped a game winning touchdown catch with 27 seconds to play. A final fourth down attempt to Austin Collie (yes, that team had a depleted receiving group as well) was intercepted and the Patriots had to go to Denver in January for the AFC Championship Game and lost 26-16.

Having lost three of their last five games, the Patriots need to end their season with a win. The question is whether it is win at any cost as they have a number of injuries to deal with on both sides of the ball. With a number of key players likely not to play on Sunday, the Patriots’ depth will be tested again as the regular season ends.

The 12-3 New England Patriots face off against the disappointing 5-10 Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon to close out the regular season. The Patriots enter the game having long since locked up the AFC East and with a bye during Wild Card Weekend already secured. For the Patriots, if they win against the Dolphins then they lock up the number one seed in the AFC and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

For the Dolphins, the game is a chance to potentially force their hated divisional rivals onto the road in the AFC Championship round (if the Patriots and Broncos get there). The 2013 Dolphins did the same when they knocked off an undermanned Patriots team 24-20 in week 15 as Danny Amendola dropped a game winning touchdown catch with 27 seconds to play. A final fourth down attempt to Austin Collie (yes, that team had a depleted receiving group as well) was intercepted and the Patriots had to go to Denver in January for the AFC Championship Game and lost 26-16.

Having lost three of their last five games, the Patriots need to end their season with a win. The question is whether it is win at any cost as they have a number of injuries to deal with on both sides of the ball. With a number of key players likely not to play on Sunday, the Patriots’ depth will be tested again as the regular season ends.